Tutorials / Everyday Workflows

BeginnerPro feature

Save and Restore a Complete Workspace

BetterStage protects your latest arrangement automatically and lets Pro users keep named restore points. This guide shows when to rely on Workspace Continuity, when to create a Saved Workspace, and what happens if a display is missing.

Published by BetterStage · A walkthrough of our product based on its documentation and controls.

Your workspace

Stages & window assignments
Each display's Window Mode
TabStack panes & tab groups

Automatic recovery · Free

After restart, wake, or display changes

Saved Workspaces · Pro

Save a named setup. Load it when needed.

Schematic. Workspace Continuity recovers your desk automatically. Pro adds named Saved Workspaces you can load on demand. Data stays on this Mac.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Arrange the workspace you want to keep

    Set up your stages across every display, choose each monitor's Window Mode, and arrange windows in Enhanced Native or TabStack panes and tab groups. A Saved Workspace captures the arrangement as a whole, not just the active stage.

  2. 2

    Save a named Workspace

    Open the BetterStage menu bar or Snap Wheel and choose Save Workspace. You can also assign Save Workspace and Load Workspace to keyboard, mouse, or trackpad shortcuts in Settings > Shortcuts. Give the snapshot a useful name such as Docked Development or Client Presentation, then confirm the displays to include. Saved Workspaces require Pro.

  3. 3

    Load it when you need it

    Choose Load Workspace from the menu bar or Snap Wheel. Review the preview and each display’s saved Window Mode. Clean Load optionally quits apps and removes Stages outside this Workspace first; it never force-quits, stops if an app stays open, and resets after use. Confirm to restore the stages, modes, panes, and matching windows. You can also assign a shortcut to a specific Saved Workspace: single keys are allowed and modifiers are optional.

  4. 4

    Handle a missing display

    Connect the saved display or choose a connected destination and create Stages or Merge its windows. Matching saved layouts take priority. If creating Stages would exceed the limit, choose Merge instead; you can also cancel. To copy preferences between Macs, use Settings Backup — that exports settings, not the named workspace snapshot itself.

  5. 5

    Let Continuity handle everyday recovery

    Workspace Continuity keeps a local checkpoint automatically. With automatic workspace recovery enabled, windows from disconnected displays become available on remaining displays and join their TabStack panes. When the display returns, its windows and layout come back automatically; if BetterStage needs confirmation, a nonblocking prompt offers Restore Workspace or Keep Current Layout.

Tips

  • Use Saved Workspaces for intentional templates; use automatic continuity for the latest state you were actually working in.
  • Rename and delete snapshots from Settings > Workspaces.
  • Keep a presentation or travel workspace that maps cleanly to fewer displays than your main desk.

Frequently asked questions

Is automatic workspace recovery a Pro feature?

No. Automatic Workspace Continuity is available on the free tier. Creating and loading named Saved Workspaces is a Pro feature.

Where is workspace recovery data stored?

Workspace checkpoints and Saved Workspaces are stored locally on your Mac; BetterStage does not upload their window or layout data.

What happens when an app is closed before I load a Workspace?

The preview shows apps that may need to be reopened. Turn on Open missing apps for this load and BetterStage launches them and keeps matching their windows while the workspace loads; otherwise their places stay empty.

Try it yourself

BetterStage is free for up to three stages with full snap zones. Eligible Macs can start a 7-day Pro trial — AI Staging, TabStack panes and tabs, Saved Workspaces, Layout Presets, and Pinned Displays. Previous trials do not reset; managed AI credits are separate. Free users on eligible Macs can also try Pro for 15 minutes once every 24 hours. See how to start a daily Pro preview.

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